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Sexual Assault

Definitions to Know

Sexual Assault
is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.

Sexual Conduct
is vaginal, oral, and/or anal penetration. Penetration can be with body part or object.

Sexual Contact
is any touching of an erogenous zone of another, including the thigh, genitals, buttocks, pubic region, or if a female, the breast, for the purpose of sexual arousal.

Consent:
An agreement to participate in sexual activity that is not obtained by manipulation, force of any type, and requires having the cognitive and emotional ability to agree to participate.
Consent Can Be Withdrawn at Any Time, Even During the Act! Silence Does Not Equal Consent.

Types of Sexual Assault

Rape

Engaging in
sexual conduct
without consent and with purposeful force. This includes personally impairing another’s judgment by administering any drug, intoxicant, or controlled substance by force, threat of force, or deception.

Sexual Battery

Engaging in
sexual contact
without consent. This includes knowing that the other’s conduct is substantially impaired and/or knowing that the other person is unaware of the sexual conduct.

Gross Sexual Imposition

Engaging in
sexual contact
with another by use of force or threat of force. This includes impairing another’s judgment or control of the other person by administering any drug, intoxicant, or controlled substance by force, threat of force, or deception.

Sexual Imposition

Engaging in
sexual contact
with another when the sexual contact is offensive to the other person. This includes knowing that the other person is substantially impaired and/or knowing that the other person is unaware of the sexual contact.

Voyeurism

Invading the privacy of another by spying or eavesdropping, for the purpose of sexual arousal. This includes the use of videotape, photograph, or any other record of the other person in a state of nudity.

Public Indecency

When a person invades and offends in another’s physical proximity by exposing their private parts, engaging in sexual conduct or masturbation, or engaging in conduct that to an ordinary observer would appear to be sexual conduct or masturbation.

Sexual Assault is NEVER the Victim's Fault!

Statistics

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.

1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.

Ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for rape and sexual assault.

Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence.

Male college-aged students (18-24) are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.

Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol is the most common substance used to facilitate sexual assault.

Consent cannot be given if the person is intoxicated.

The police consider the totality of the circumstances when investigating criminal offenses, and make personal crimes their first priority. Therefore, the survivor should not avoid making a police report due to their own consumption of alcohol or drugs at the time of an assault.

It is not the survivor’s fault if someone assaulted him/her, regardless of whether or not they were using drugs or alcohol, what they were wearing, how they were dancing, where they were, or the time it was when the assault occurred.